Did you know that May is National Bike Month? With the weather turning warmer, it’s the perfect time to break out the bicycle (or buy one) to get out and enjoy the fresh air and beautiful weather. In this week’s Canyon Park Apartments Blog, we share with you some tips for preparing yourself to bike to work in Puyallup, WA.
Learn to Manage your Time
A large part of making a switch to biking to work, or any other place, is to manage your time. Bicycles are slower than cars. It’s natural to take a little longer for you to get places when you cycle, so plan wisely and account for time and distance when you choose to go places. If you’re biking to work, give yourself enough time to arrive and cool down, or if possible, take a shower.
Map Your Route
Knowing where you’re going and being familiar with the route is important for efficiency. With so many resources like Google Maps, or cycling apps, it’s easy to pick the best, shortest, or most scenic route for your commute to work via cycling. It’s also a wise idea to ride the route on a weekend before you intend on making the switch to commuting, this way, you know what you’re getting into and you can make adjustments if necessary.
Know Your Limits
Not everyone is capable of jumping on a bicycle and riding 25 miles with no problems. Biking is a cardiovascular exercise and does require some level of physical fitness. If you’re new to biking, or are just getting back into it, try to work your way up to completing your commute route. Instead of trying to commit to finishing it on the first try, take a couple weekends to ride the route and go as far as you can. As you work out those muscles, your strength will increase and you become more capable of finishing. Push your limits incrementally. You will find that you can accomplish a lot more than you were initially able to.
Do you have any tips for biking to work? Let us know in the comments below! Thanks for reading!